Music

DJ Yin uses “Kilimanjaro” to advocate for mental health

In the right hands music could become an effective tool to disrupt social norms, start conversations and change status quo. On “Kilimanjaro”, DJ Yin is a spokesperson for easily digestible social progression, helping relieve people of despondency. She’s preaching from a mount, prompting people to recognise the grim blues in a society where mental health issues are filtered through the vague lens of taboo and spiritualism.

Yet, “Kilimanjaro” isn’t a track too moralising, and neither does it have the maudlin feel of a song written to solve a problem. The uptempo instrumentation underpinning the vocals, positively diverts from making the track a mawkish ode to depression and instead makes it moderately uplifting.

As part of the campaign for “Kilimanjaro” to echo the voices of the depressed and unheard, DJ Yin and evenly paired collaborator, BankyOnDBeatz recruit some friends to help project their voices to the movement to fight depression. Amongst the additional vocals included are comments from Cool FM OAP, Kemi Smallz, Odunsi (The Engine), Fasina and Bennie Macaulay amongst others to share their thoughts by using their voices as a tool to connect with millions of people. Although the layering of the sound sometimes overtakes their vocals when they give bits and pieces of their experiences, the outro by Ayo Wright is free from instrumental distraction to help focus on the quick spoken word poetry.

Fisayo is a journalist who thinks writing is hard and reading too. But her journey somewhere reveals, words are like pawns on chessboard when writing. She wants to create and share with the world. See the world, experience and communicate these experiences. Tweet at her @fisvyo